City Hall Meltdown

I am doomed never to watch what is now being called the "meltdown" at City Hall on Monday night. I heard that or similar terms yesterday from several people who are intimately involved with Council. I got some emails late last night from several readers telling me that the Council meeting repeat was on cable so that I had better watch it.

Unfortunately I was on the phone and did not start watching until 12:30 AM. I decided that sleep was a better alternative and so put on my VCR to tape it. Of course, I did not let the tape run long enough so just when it started getting good, it ended and I missed the fun. Oh well, I'll try again.

But I do owe you, dear reader, some juicy inside stuff to make up to you. So here goes:

1. Another "in camera" resolution on the border on Monday night.
2. You should hear how a one-day strike at Transit Windsor was averted.
3. Word is that there is a push on to relocate the new arena to Ward 5 to the Lauzon area around the Lear plant. As I mentioned before, Riverside arena needs rebuilding so the thought is to use the money for that ($12 million?) and combine it with the $15 million "budgeted" for an arena and try to build something or at least be able to announce something before the next election. Why here--strictly votes. It's Eddie's Ward. Gignac, an opponent to the arena financially, cannot oppose something in her Ward can she if she wants to run for Mayor. It is being presented to Wilson, who wants an arena downtown, as his legacy to the Ward
4. While you may think it is prestigious being a Councillor, and it is, it is also dangerous. One of the Councilors has been receiving death threats to the point that the Police are involved. Over what, no one is quite sure. I saw one of the hate mails, perhaps to see if I could figure out who the person was from what was said. Just like in the movies, it came in a plain brown envelope, using nasty language and was unsigned.
5. Some Councillors are furious at the Mayor over Super Bowl. Eddie is very generous in sharing certain glory and a lot of the blame for problems with Council but who was front and centre basking in the Super Bowl fame
6. A question being asked: Who went with the Mayor to the Super Bowl game
7. It is interesting that the story re the Blackberrys became public. Eddie tried to curb its use during Council sessions before and Councillors ignored him. Making the issue public has just gotten certain Councillors' backs up. Guess who is accused of using a Blackberry during meetings with business people.
8. The Brister incident on Monday really had its start in a very nasty phone exchange that took place over the weekend. The straw that broke the camel's back?
9. A certain media person needs to be very careful what emails he/she sends out and to whom. Fortunately, the recipient I am told of a very bizarre one deleted it from his/her computer so I cannot publish it here.
10. Eddie is telling Councillors that Michigan DRIC is dead. I assume he gets that from the media stories rather than inside info because no decision has been made to do it, yet.
11. There is a major split on Council about working with DRIC. Up to 4 of them are talking to or are proposing to talk to DRIC officials on their own.
12. Which Detroit Councillors are visiting Windsor soon, with whom are they meeting and why?
13. Windsor and Detroit Councils are to meet together on February 28.
14. Windsor Council's strategy session on the 13th will focus around the border
15. A number of Councillors are coming to the view privately that "No Action" is the "Best Action" on the border and that our real problem is moving trucks across the Ambassador Bridge so we need a road system that works. They will find common ground with a number of Detroit Councillors if that is their position
16. Who is going to be the real Mr./Ms. Conservative in Windsor? Word is that it is NOT going to be Jeff Watson